Friday, 22 June 2018

30 Days Wild - Day 16 - St Robert of Knaresborough's Cave and the delights of the Nidd Gorge

Knaresborough lies on the River Nidd.

The Anglican Centre in Rome has a library, organises courses and hosts meetings when important Anglicans go to Rome for Catholic events. They have support groups in the UK . The Ripon Support Group decided to have a special meeting this year at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Knaresborough to celebrate 800 years after his death, the life of Knaresborough's own saint, Saint Robert.

Peter has written a novel, or rather a set of short stories about people who knew Robert, called "Tales of the Celebrity Hermit". Robert stayed within the north of England

From the forward of this book:-

Robert Flower (c1160 -1218). or St Robert of Knaresborough as we have come to know him lived 800 years ago. He was brought up in a well to do family in a prosperous and growing region of Europe that was still taking shape after the Norman Conquest of the British Isles. Robert's home town of York and his adopted town of Knaresborough provide the immediate setting for our stories, but the influences and reflections from a larger canvass are never far away... when established in St Robert's Cave, sometime in the 1190s he was becoming something of a celebrity. He was visited and spoken about across Europe...

The river Nidd marked the line between the town of Knaresborough to the north and the Royal Hunting Forest -Knaresborough Forest to the south. This was not necessarily forest - It was land where the King had rights to hunt, and where there were draconian laws against people who broke the rules.

Peter presented a comprehensive picture of the environment and life in those times. Climate graphs to show what the climate was like in those days; He talked about economics - and how the people and economy were suffering as King John had had to borrow money for the wars he had been fighting (and mostly losing) and now had to pay it back (using taxes etc, so that a lot of the silver coins which were being used in the currency were then removed)

He painted a picture of some of the economic and social problems of the time - which have parallels today.

At lunch time I left the lecture room/parish room and went onto the patio outside - and was amazed by the view

The speakers and organisers sit on the patio

The castle beyond

The castle was first built by a Norman baron in c. 1100 on a cliff above the River Nidd. In the 1170s Hugh de
Moreville and his followers took refuge there after assassinating Thomas Becket.
In 1205 King John took control of the Castle. It was here in 1210 that the Maundy Money was instituted.

Lunch

Gives her talk

We set off on the 1 1/2 mile walk to the cave. (Most people drive). We descend lots of steps then walk on the road by the river. Looking back, The Parish Centre is under the left arch.

I have now just set off on the mile and a half walk to Robert's Cave. I had not realised the gorge was so impressive. The original route of the Nidd is through the gravel beds of what is now Staveley Nature reserve two miles to the north (where I am due to give a grasses workshop next month), but during the last Ice Age, the Ice sheet flowing down the Vale of York blocked up the river, it was diverted, and with all the extra melting water formed this gorge through the magnesian limestone.

There are big trees in the gorge - Sycamore, Ash, Oak and others.

Some trunks have been carved

Kingfisher

Eventually the land flattens out. Robert was given some of this land to farm with his small community.

A while after his death a Priory was set up. Trinitarian Priory of the Holy Trinity and St Robert, founded pre-1252. It was destroyd by the Scots in 1318, and suffered at the Black Death. It was dissolved in 1538. It was destryed at the dissolution of the monasteries, but there are bits of masonary used in buildings along the route, and vuildings named after it.

Still walking along the road

Leave the road and descend the river bank to the cave

The cave

Inside the cave

Peter Lacey tells us more history

Outside the cave

View from inside the cave

And just below the cave is a fisherman

Sign

On the way back I look at the chapel carved into the cliff. The tiny medieval Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag lies a stone's throw from the Nidd, in Abbey Road about half a
mile from the centre of Knaresborough. It was carved from the cliff face by John the Mason in 1408, permission
being granted by King Henry IV.

A lot of work is being carried out on the steep garden below - a section on medicinal plants, a section on plants with a story or religious title, a a section to remember people.

I wonder how many plants will continue to grow with the dense shade of the trees above... But do go and see them now whilst they are fresh and flowering

Aug-Sep 2018: £40 - Thanks to sale of £30 worth of cards form 3 Langcliffe people (total for 2018=£170)

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June-July 2018: £30 - Thanks to sale of cards at Wholesome Bee and Boxer and Hound (total for 2018=£130)

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April-May 2018: £70 including £30 from donation by Settle spinners, £23.50 from sale of cards to Ripon Group visitng St John's and sale of cards to others (total for 2018: £100

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Jan-March 2018:£30

(Total for 2018: £30.00)

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December: £235 made up of £191 at Coffee morning - £127 for Coffee and cakes, £64 for cards; plus £10.50 from Cards sold at Settle Spinners and £20 from one person buying cards and £23.50 from other cards - Total for 2017: £557:

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Sep-Nov 2017: £32.50 including £19.50 from Green Christian JIE Conference and £13 from Cards at Growing with Grace (Total-£312)

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June - Aug 2017: £72.50 including £68 from the talk on "Wildflower Walks around Settle" (Total for 2017: £279.50)

In Dec 2012 - so far - £137 :£65 from Rainforest Coffee morning at church. The following is all from cards: £25.5 from sale of cards at coffee morning, and £25 from cards near coffee morning; : £8 at Langcliffe Inst, £13 Growing with grace £10-50 Wholesome Bee, (Total for 2012 = £712)

In June 2012: £40 : from sale of cards:£18 from people from Scargill House on my wildflowers walk and £16 from Age UK people at haymeadow talk (Total for 2012 = £370)

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In May 2012: £74 : including from cards (£14 from sale of cards at Taitlands Tea room at Stainforth; £15 from CCG meeting at Lower Winskill; £20 from Flowers course at Malham Tarn Field Centre; £17 (Total for 2012 = £330)

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In April 2012: £26: from cards (£15 from A Rocha group at Scargill House (Total for 2012 = £256)

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In March 2012: £130: from cards including £75 from Christian Ecology Link Conference at Bristol and £35 donation from Settle Spinners and £20 from Cards in the foyer at St John's (Total for 2012 = £230)

In Dec 2011: £240 including £90from cards including £32.50 from Langcliffe Inst Christmas Sale, £11-00 at WI pantomine, £20 from people at Settle Christmas Day Lunch and £150 donation (Total for 2011 = £1,000)

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In Nov 2011: £50: From cards including £19.50 from Scottish Dancing (Total for 2011 = £760)

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In Oct 2011: £110: From cards including £45 from Worsley Church and £50 from Settle Mothers Union (Total for 2011 = £710)

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In Sept 2011: £30: From cards (Total for 2011 = £600)

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In August 2011: £20: From cards (Total for 2011 = £570)_________________________

In July 2011: £50: From £36 donation form Settle Spinners, (£6-00 cards from Settle Spinners and £8.00 cards from others (Total for 2011 = £550)_________________________

In June 2011: £85: From the profit from the Saltaire Ladies group who came for salad tea at the church hall - £29 plus the cards they bought - £16.50; The Flowers course at Malham Tarn bought £26 of cards. (Total for 2011 = £500)_________________________In April- May 2011: £55 - From My saving buying food on "Live for a £1-00 a day week": £10; Rest from cards including 1 person at Scottish dancing £15 and people at Plantlife day: £16.50 (Total for 2011 = £415)_________________________

In March 2011: £145 - Mostly from sale of cards including:- £50 from CEL conference, £25 from Horton History Society, £26 from WYSOCS; Also a £20 donation (Total for 2011 = £360)_________________________

In Feb 2011: £65 - all from sale of cards including:- £26 from Austwick Field Society and £25 from Settle Gardening Club (Total for 2011 = £215)_________________________

Starting again..in 2011: £150 in by 31 January 2011 including £109 from the Barn Dance and £26 from cards_________________________

£2600 (£600 in 2010) by Dec 31 2010 - Mostly from Greeting cards, but also £32.21 from Settle Spinners and some from a donation._________________________

£2420 (£420 in 2010) by Sept 20 2010 - From the St John's Coffee Morning in August (£106) . Also from the sale of Greetings Cards, including £28 worth from people on courses at Malham Tarn Field Centre - Acrylics, Grasses, Settle Carlisle Line and Staff)_________________________

£2250 (£250 in 2010) by June 30 2010 - Mostly from the sale of Greetings Cards, including £20 worth from people at "Folk at the Falcon" and £30 from one lady who came to the NISCU evening, and £20 donation from people who came on the Environment Sunday Walk._________________________

£2125 (£125 in 2010) by March 31 2010 - including £100 from sale of Greetings Cards and Calendars and another £25 from collection by Settle Spinning Club

_________________________Nov - December 31st 2009 - including sale of Christmas Cards and Calendars

(Total for 2009 = £567 )_________________________Sep-October 2009 - £60-00:- £52 donations at Day of Prayer on 4 Oct. £8-00 from energy meter and sale of cards

(Total for 2009 = £450)_________________________May-August 2009: £68 - £40 from cards from Choir from Dewsbury, £8-00 from profit on sale of tweezers and lenses, £10- from part of Burton in Lonsdale Ceilidh money, £8-00 sale of cards

(Total for 2009 = £47) _________________________£1433 by December 29th 2008 - including £70 from Settle WI£14 from selling Speaking Tips Booklets£70 from selling home-made Christmas cards_________________________£1279 by November 29th 2008- including £25 from a Langcliffe Singer Lady who is giving it to World Land Trust to a relation as a Christmas Present; £35 from Langcliffe Singers; and donations from a couple for receiving computing tuition_________________________£1172 by October 29th- 2008 including £50 made up from donations from 6 people who borrowed the Owl monitor, and an individual donation for £50 - Thanks._________________________£1050 by September 29th 2008 includingover £100 from the "Addingham Friendly Hour" minibus trip where we made them tea)_________________________£920 by July 29th -2008- includinga donation of £4 by a person borrowing an OWL meter - (for monitoring electricity usage)_________________________£883 by June 20th 2008- includinga donation of £100 for Cool Earth by Settle Line Dance Class at the Church Hall and £10 as the first donation online for Cool Earth, and two other donations._________________________£752 by May 20th 2008 includinga donation of £100 for World Land Trust by a family who donated half an acre of land (£25) for each of their four nephews and nieces, who received certificates._________________________£652 by April 19th 2008- includinga donation of £65 from the group who came for coffee_________________________£587 by April 14th 2008- including£160 for A Rocha Ghana£312 for World Land Trust (including £25 online donation and £30 from Scottish Country Dancing at the Hall£115 for Cool Earth_________________________£467 by April 5th 2008- including£110 for A Rocha Ghana£292 for World Land Trust (including £25 online donation and £30 from Scottish Country Dancing at the Hall£65 for Cool Earth_________________________

£392 by March 9th 2008- including£90 for A Rocha Ghana£237 for World Land Trust£65 for Cool Earth_________________________

£295 by February 9th 2008£80 for A Rocha Ghana and£215 for World Land Trust (which will buy 4 acres of forest.)